Light
by Ana the Romantic
Summary: A nighttime talk in the library reveals a fear that Belle has kept hidden. A small fluffy ficlet between my favorite couple.


**A/N**: Hello all! Those who know me know that it was only a matter of time before I began to write for this wonderful couple of Rumbelle. I've been looking through different ideas and trying to get some kind of story together. On top of that it might change because the show being played every Sunday (though it is something that I desperately look forward to), so it's hard to get a full story thought of. This is just a ficlet, I am hoping to have something more later. This one takes place immediately after 'Broken'. Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: All characters are property of their creators and ABC Productions; I am not doing this for any profit. I just want to play around with the characters for a little bit.

**Light**

The stars shone once again over Storybrooke, nearly unjustly so. The Sheriff and the newly recognized Snow White were missing, transported through magic to another world, unknown to be alive or dead. Regina, the Evil Queen, still lived and undoubtedly was plotting her vengeance. Against who and when she planned to enact it was still a mystery. But still the stars shone brightly against the dark night sky and almost brought reassurance to the people of Storybrooke that it would be okay. Good always triumphed, even if it may take another twenty-eight years.

Belle sat in a window seat in the modest library that Mister Gold had accumulated through his time as a pawn broker. She held her knees to her chest and leaned back against the wall, watching the night stars instead of reading the couple of books that she had picked out earlier and now sat at her feet. She thought about the Sheriff and Snow, the young queen that had lost so much. Just like the rest of them.

As she pondered over the stars she also pondered over her time in the basement asylum. She wondered if this Belle in Storybrooke was mental, as she noticed Rumplestiltskin wasn't exactly who he was back in the Enchanted Forest. He was Mister Gold, pawnbroker and lawyer, but still very much a deal maker and trickster. She knew it was still the same man that she had fallen in love with, just a little more _this_ worldly. She wondered if this world made the Belle here crazy, or if that was only Regina's doing. She was drugged for the longest time while in this prison; the only thing she could really remember is her life in the Dark Castle with Rumplestiltskin.

Did she even have a life here? Was that little voice right?

"No, no it isn't," she whispered so softly she wasn't even sure if she said it at all.

The things she did know for certain were simple. She was Belle. She was with Rumplestiltskin, her true love. He loved her back and he would protect her. And she was never going to leave him, even after he told her to. She made that mistake once before, she would not do it again.

A kiss pressed hesitantly at her temple and she blinked a little in surprise.

Rumplestiltskin, or Mister Gold as he was called, smiled and sat down on the other side of the window seat to face her after moving the two still unread books from the seat, "Thinking hard again, dearest."

She nodded even though she knew it was more of a statement than a question. She unfolded her legs and he caught them before they fell to the floor. He pulled her feet over his lap and placed his hands over her shins in a comfortable hold they both were familiar with from a time long ago.

"I didn't hear you come in," she said quietly, "You don't have your cane."

"My magic is starting to grow stronger," he said simply and patted his leg a little to elaborate, "It's starting to heal the blasted thing."

She nodded and leaned forward to catch one of his hands that lay softly over her legs. She looked over the hand carefully and noticed that though his magic was growing, he still had the look and feel of a normal man. There was no golden sheen to his skin or to his eyes. His nails didn't have the black ebony coloring that she remembered them having as he spun at his large wheel at the Dark Castle. Just smooth, large hands of a man with untold magic power growing beneath the skin.

"What were you thinking over?" he asked as he watched her.

She hesitated for a moment and then sighed hard, "Everything, I suppose."

"That would be something to think hard on," he nodded and leaned back as Belle began to trace unseen patterns on his palm and the back of his hand. It was gentle and calming and so Belle.

She looked up at his face and held his hand in both of hers, "I was wondering who Belle was here."

"What do you mean?" his brows furrowed for a moment.

"Well, you're Mister Gold," she started and pulled her legs from his lap to turn and lean back toward him, "Still the same man that I remember and love, but different for this world. I know I am Belle, and will always be Belle. But I can't help wondering if I was someone else too."

He put his arms around her and pulled her closer to him, nearly setting her in his lap. He kissed the crown of her head and whispered into her hair, "You don't need to be anyone else. You're Belle and you're perfect."

She smiled at the words and put her hands over his, "You flatter me."

"I speak only truth," he nuzzled into her hair and took a large inhale, "You have to remember, love, Regina needed you for later purposes. She also needed you dead to the world, lest I would come and steal you away. In a way, she made it so that there was no Belle in this world. You don't have to worry about being Miss French. You are just Belle. You are you and that's all you have to be."

His words made sense, and she knew he was right. This world, this town was made by Regina and her specifications. If she didn't want Belle to be found, than why have a different identity waiting for her.

She took a deep breath and pushed back against him, "You and I come from different worlds, you know."

He chuckled a little and looked down at her to see the side of her face, "Oh? How so?"

"We think differently. Two different minds, different ideas, different thoughts. Another way to think about the same things. Different ideas of life, justice, punishment, fairness…" she trailed off a little and she could feel his arms fluctuate between tightening and loosening, unsure if he could let her go and if he should. She turned in his arms and hugged him around the waist and put her head on his shoulder, "Stop that."

"What am I doing?" he asked and carefully put his arms around her.

"You are thinking I am going to leave again," she said and looked up at his face and quirked one eyebrow up, "Either that or thinking that you should try to send me away."

He sighed and nodded looking away from her, "You know me too well."

"You need to stop thinking like that," she cupped one cheek and turned him to look at her in the eyes, "I am never going to leave you. No matter how much you push me away."

"I will hurt you," he said in defeated tone and turned to kiss her hand, "I did today and I may tomorrow."

"You may, and then again you may not. You may make it the happiest day of my life by reminding me that I am with the man that I love. And in the end that's all that matters," she leaned up and kissed him quickly on the lips. It was a peck of finality over the conversation, "I am a strong woman and I can handle you, Rumplestiltskin."

"You are the only one that can," he smiled and hugged her before putting his chin on her head.

"I am afraid," she said and looked out into the small library as she listened to his heart.

He chuckled again, "No, not you. You are the bravest one of us all."

She smiled sadly and sat up to stare at him eye to eye. With a tilt of her head, her hair cascaded to one side, "I sometimes wondered down in that cell why I was still alive. Something dark was embedded behind everything else and taunted me. Pushed at me to just find a way to end it. To stop trying to find reason and just let it win. Let her win."

"Oh, sweetheart," he sighed and pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear, "I am so sorry."

"Don't be," she shook her head and pushed her cheek into his hand that lingered on her face, "You were that speck of light that kept me strong; even if I didn't realize that it was you."

"How so?" he kept his hand on her face, gently passing his thumb over her chin and cheek.

"Somehow, I knew that someone loved me," she nodded and closed her eyes, "Somewhere they loved me. And when they could, if they could, they would come and find me. They would rescue me."

"But I never did," he growled at himself, "I didn't even know you were alive."

"And I knew that's why you didn't come for me," she held his hand to her face now and kissed his palm, "But I found you. And we're together. That black part of me that told me to end it is gone. Because I know I have purpose. I know why I am alive."

"Why?"

She leaned toward him and laid her chest over his so their hearts beat against one another, in time, "To love you and be loved by you. To keep your darkness from overtaking you. I know you value your magic, and I will not take it from you. But know that I will not let it take you from me either."

He looked in her eyes and closed the gap between their lips. He cupped the back of her head as his other arm pulled her flush against him. The kiss was both soft and urgent, the need to have her against him, with him, too great. She responded in kind and gripped at his shoulders, digging into the silk fabric covering them.

As they broke away he laid his forehead against hers with a content smile, "I won't let it take you away again. I promise. I vow…"

She smiled softly.

"You don't need to be afraid, Belle," he said after a moment, "I will protect you."

"I know," she nodded, "But sometimes I wonder who will protect you. That's why I am afraid, because without you, there is no me. I will die along with you, because I refuse to live on without you again."

"No," he shook his head, "You will live on and have a beautiful life. Full of the light that you brought into mine."

"You silly man," she smiled and let out a small sob as she kissed him again, "I am only that bright because you make me glow."

"I am the darkest black, in love with the greatest light," he kissed her cheeks where a few tears dropped. She put her face against his neck and he held her tight, their hearts still beating in time against one another.

They both stayed quite together on the window seat under the glowing stars. He suddenly took a large breath and shifted a little.

"I'll make you a deal," he whispered and she leaned away just enough to look up at him.

"What are the terms?" she smiled playfully.

"You guide my way," he pecked her lips, "And I will always protect you."

"You've already promised to protect me," she pointed out.

"Then what do you wish of me?" he asked, "For I need a guiding star, and I will give anything for it to be you. For no one else will do."

"Anything?" she asked with both eyebrows raised.

He nodded, "Anything."

"Then my price…" she hesitated and then promptly poked him in the chest, "Is you."

He smirked at the action and picked up her fingers to kiss them, "You already have me."

"This is forever," she reminded him, "No running, no pushing away, no self-sacrifice to save the maiden. I have you. If you agree, I will light the darkest pit you could throw at me. No matter how many twists and turns you may put in it."

He looked into her eyes and kissed her once more. Slowly, softly and with all the love he could never express until now. As they broke the kiss he ran a hand through her hair, "The deal is struck."

She giggled at the words, "So be it."

She stayed in his arms as they looked out the window. Neither of them was sure what was to happen next. If the Sheriff, the savior, would ever return or if Regina would try to vengeance against them. All they knew is that they had one another and no magic was strong enough to take that away.

* * *

**A/N**: Not completely happy with it, but it helped me clear my writer's block on these characters. I hope you enjoyed the fluffiness that I feel our dear Rumplestiltskin has been missing out on for too long. Please drop a review and I will hopefully get some kind of plot going for a full length fiction soon. Happy reading to you all!


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